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EXCLUSIVE! Henry Moodie's new song "beat up car" is low-key inspired by Taylor Swift
From heartbreak to growing up to mental health, Henry Moodie has covered it all—in the form of some super catchy tunes, ofc. The 19-year-old singer-songwriter just kicked off his largest solo tour to date and is totally "cruising" through sold-out shows. (Oh, and speaking of cruising, his brand new single "beat up car" is out today.)
From "closure" (the perf in-your-feels ballad) to "eighteen" (nostalgia, anyone?), Henry's discography is basically the soundtrack to your crush qualms, late-night thoughts and major life moments.
Lucky for us, Henry set aside a few minutes between shows to dish about his new song, life on tour and music inspo (psst: we may have discovered that he's a total Swiftie).
Girls' Life: How has life on the road been?
Henry Moodie: It's been my favorite experience so far in my career. Every night on stage I feel so lucky to be able to be living my dream.
GL: Do you have a favorite song to perform live?
Henry: Probably "you were there for me." During the last chorus, I go down to the front with the crowd. It's this super intimate moment.
GL: Speaking of that, we saw the video of you singing in Thailand. It must be amazing to see the audience singing your songs. How does that feel to see live?
Henry: It's always surreal seeing people singing the songs back. And when they hear their favorite song, seeing their faces light up...that's the best feeling ever.
GL: Are there any artists that have influenced or inspired your music?
Henry: I'm a massive Swiftie. Reputation was really when I became a fan. I was 13 when that album came out and when I started songwriting. That was kind of my escape—listening to Reputation and writing songs. Putting my emotions into music was my form of therapy. I'm also a big fan of Conan Gray. I think he's just incredible. Olivia Rodrigo as well. And super random, recently The Lumineers. Lorde, too.
GL: Perfect timing for Reputation (Taylor's Version), hopefully dropping ASAP?
Henry: I feel like she's gotta release all the albums before the end of her tour!
GL: Fingers crossed! More about some of your music: I love how open you are about discussing mental health in "pick up the phone." What inspired that song?
Henry: I was thinking about my younger self who felt quite alone. I wrote the song to my younger self as a message of "you're gonna be okay, you're gonna get through this." I also wanted it to be motivation for people who are going through a hard time. I try my best to be open about my mental health. If someone is going through the same thing as me, hopefully they feel less alone.
GL: So you have a new single called "beat up car." Tell us about that.
Henry: It never gets old releasing music. I can't wait for release night—it feels like Christmas! "Beat up car" is kind of the first love song I've written, and I was fantasizing about being in a cinematic, movie type of love. When writing [the song], I pictured that scene from The Perks of Being a Wallflower where Emma Watson is out of the sunroof with her hands in the air. It's a song about running away with someone who makes you feel like the world is less scary than it is.
Click here to stream "beat up car" now!
Top and slider image: Katie Silvester